'Eddie Carbone, like all tragic figures, is responsible for his own downfall.' Explain how Eddie's violent end comes about.

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Hollie Kavanagh

‘Eddie Carbone, like all tragic figures, is responsible for his own downfall.’

Explain how Eddie’s violent end comes about.

Eddie is referred to as a tragic hero. Another example of a tragic hero is Oedipus. Oedipus left home at an early age, as the gods were displeased with his mother. She had performed sins in the eyes of the laws. Upon Oedipus’ return his mother, without realising his true identity, fell desperately in love with him. After making love, Oedipus discovered the true nature of their relationship, and was so distraught he cut out his eyes. This is a classic example of a tragedy as it plainly shows Oedipus (the tragic hero) as an innocent victim being dragged in and being used as part of his mother’s horrible punishment.

The play tells the story of Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman who lives in Redhook, he lives with his wife Beatrice and niece Catherine. They all await the arrival of Beatrice’s cousins, Marco and Rodolpho who are illegal immigrants from Italy. Marco and Rodolpho arrive and are warmly welcomed into the Carbone household. But soon problems arise as Catherine falls for charming Italian Rodolpho, which Eddie feels very uncomfortable about. An atmosphere is created between Eddie and Rodolpho and their hate for each other grew. Eddie then comes home to find that Rodolpho and Catherine had been making love. Eddie insults Rodolpho by kissing him and then by kissing Catherine passionately which Catherine finds very disturbing. This indicates that maybe Eddie has different feelings for her, and is jealous of Rodolpho. Eddie then storms out of the house after hearing about the recent engagement of Rodolpho and Catherine and goes to his lawyer Alferi for legal advice but Eddie found that there was only one solution, which he came to by himself, was that he had to phone the immigration Bureau to inform them the whereabouts of Marco and Rodolpho. As Marco and Rodolpho are arrested Marco spits at Eddie and threatens to kill him. Eddie still protests his innocents that he did not snitch on the cousins. The cousins are released on bail and Rodolpho goes to warn Eddie that Marco is coming to find him for revenge. Marco then finds Eddie and attacks him, Eddie pulls out a knife and Marco turns the knife back on Eddie and Eddie dies.

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Eddies death is forewarned in Alfieri’s opening speech at the beginning of the play. Alferi starts and immediately creates the atmosphere that this was a place where a crime was once committed. He opens up the story of Eddie Carbone by saying:

“ This one’s name WAS Eddie Carbone….”

This sentence suggests that Eddie is going to die by using ‘was’ which is in the past tense.

Life at home becomes very complicated after Marco and Rodolpho arrive. As Catherine and Rodolpho’s love grows stronger the further away Eddie and Catherine’s relationship falls apart. You can see the ...

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